Designer Profile: Marina B…The Woman and Her Jewelry

August 30, 2013July 6, 2017

I met Marina Bulgari at her first Marina B jewelry exhibition in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1979. I became an immediate fan, even though I was representing Van Cleef & Arpels at the time, preparing an exhibition — as I did every winter — at the ultra-luxury Badrutt’s Palace hotel. Like the hotel, which is still vibrant and luxurious in this Swiss ski resort favored by jetsetters, the beloved Marina B brand continues to shine today in the world landscape of beautiful couture jewelry.

Marina Bulgari began her illustrious career in the company founded by her grandfather Sottiro Bulgari, where she created some of Bulgari’s most enduring bestsellers. After the death of her father in the late ‘70s, Marina left Bulgari S.p.A. to follow her entrepreneurial mindset and creative spirit. In 1977 she launched her own company, Marina B.

Marina B Pivomap Blue Earrings

At Marina B, Marina designed an incredible succession of iconic and legendary jewelry that bears the undeniable mark of her creative process. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, She was embraced by connoisseurs, international jetsetters and celebrities around the world as the epitome of style, elegance and creativity in luxury jewelry.

Marina B Alfa Pave Earrings

Marina was born in Rome on July 12, 1930 to a Greek father and German-Italian mother. Early on, she developed a passion for art, architecture and mathematics. Upon Marina’s graduation from Saint Mary’s College in England, she returned to Italy to work in the family business that would launch her long and storied career. Her keen sense of design, proportion and scale combined with an understanding of engineering and movement is a hallmark of the Marina B collections today.

Marina B Agostino Ring

The Marina B style embodies bold and elegant designs…the use of diamonds and colored semi-precious stones…the juxtaposition of geometric lines and subtle curves.